Applegate Bets The Farm On Regenerative Agriculture – Launches The New Food Collective™

Premium Pork Sausages First to be Certified by the American Grassfed Association

Applegate Farms, LLC., the nation’s leading natural and organic meat company, announces THE NEW FOOD COLLECTIVE™, a new premium brand that uses pasture-raised meats and small-batch production methods to create culinary-inspired products. The launch will feature a line of fresh sausages that is the first pork to be certified by the American Grassfed Association (AGA).

The AGA standard mandates that hogs have maximum access to the outdoors, allowing them to forage and roam in woods and pasture and that, during the grazing season, they gather most of their food outside. It also requires farmers to develop a pasture-management plan to support biological diversity, natural resources and soil fertility.

“The American Grassfed Association standard is a leap ahead of anything else out there,” said Gina Asoudegan, Applegate’s vice president of mission and innovation. “The organization’s name focuses on pasture — and these new sausages deliver on that. But AGA also stands for no antibiotics, no genetically modified feed and the highest animal-welfare standards. You’d need five separate logos to replace what AGA does.”

THE NEW FOOD COLLECTIVE™ brand sources its meat from small farms in Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri that use regenerative agricultural practices, which are designed to improve soil, water retention and biodiversity. Applegate is also working with the Savory Institute, a pioneer in regenerative agriculture, to assess farm practices and create proof-of-impact metrics that can be shared with the public.

“At Applegate, we want to change the meat we eat, and this launch propels that mission forward,” said John Ghingo, Applegate president. “We’re making a big bet on regenerative agriculture as one of the paths to show the world that raising animals and eating meat doesn’t have to be problem. Animals can and do play a vital role in a healthy food system.”

THE NEW FOOD COLLECTIVE™ line will be sold at select Whole Foods stores in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Non-GMO feed: Animals’ diets are supplemented with only non-GMO grain. The American Grassfed Association certifies the grain through an affidavit program.

“Applegate is committed to investing in scaling up systems and production methods that raise animals right,” added Asoudegan. “Our products are made by food lovers for food lovers. And food lovers know that flavor starts on the farm.”

About Applegate

Founded in 1987, Applegate Farms LLC produces high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Our products are made without GMO ingredients, and we source from farms where animals are treated with care and respect and are allowed to grow at their natural rate, all part of our mission – CHANGING THE MEAT WE EAT®. Natural can mean many things, but to Applegate natural means our food is:

From animals raised humanely without antibiotics, hormones or growth promotants

Applegate Farms LLC became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit www.applegate.com or talk with us on www.facebook.com/applegate or twitter.com/Applegate.

About Hormel Foods – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, Columbus®, Wholly Guacamole®, Hormel® Black Label® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the tenth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ – focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.